1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an installation arrangement for an instrument panel of an automotive vehicle. Specifically, the present invention relates to an installation arrangement which allows an instrument panel to be installed in an automotive vehicle easily and securely, without complex or costly components or labor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, instrument panels for automotive vehicles are becoming increasingly complex. The variety of instruments and various new types of display technology and the like combine to make automotive instrument panels costly and complex aspects of a vehicle and efficient installation thereof becomes important. Thus, it has been required to provide an arrangement for simply and efficiently installing a vehicle instrument panel.
Also, with rapidly progressing technology, the number and variety of instruments employed by drivers is increasing.
One installation arrangement for automotive instruments has been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application 59-108293. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, it can be seen that the arrangement comprises an instrument panel 1 mounting an audio deck 2 and a radio 3, for example, as an instrument cluster in a frame 5. Referring to FIG. 5, the audio deck 2 and/or radio 3 are supported on each side by a bracket 4. The bracket 4 is provided with installation tabs 4a on left and right sides thereof for receiving mounting members 5a of the frame 5 which may be fastened to the installation tabs 4a by screws or the like. The instruments (audio deck 2, radio 3, etc.) are thus mounted, as seen in FIG. 6, such that the front panels 2a, 3a, thereof are flush with a facing 5b of the frame 5.
The assembled instrument cluster, comprising the audio deck 2 and/or radio 3, the frame 5 and the bracket 4 are then inserted into an mounting opening of the instrument panel 1 and mounting tabs 4b of the bracket 4 are fastened to the instrument panel 1 by screws or the like and installation of the instrument cluster is completed.
However, since it is increasingly common to utilize other instruments, for example, satellite navigation systems, video monitors or the like, in addition to a radio 3 and/or audio deck 2, a drawback is present in the above-described conventional installation arrangement. Specifically, since the components are `stacked` vertically and mounted so as to have the facing portions 5b of the frame 5 therebetween, a space occupied by the installed instrument cluster tends to become excessively large. Thus, it has been required to provide an arrangement for installation of an instrument cluster in an automotive instrument panel 1 in which space is efficiently used so as to allow the mounting a greater number of instruments in a relatively small space.